UBS initiates Pony AI stock with Buy rating, $20 price target

UBS initiates Pony AI stock with a Buy rating and a $20.00 price target, implying 53% upside potential from current levels. The stock currently trades at $13.94, having experienced an 11.8% decline over the past week, according to InvestingPro data.

The investment bank’s research note, published Monday, highlights Pony AI as the first and only robotaxi company to launch commercial fee-charging and driverless robotaxi operations across all four tier-one cities in China.

UBS conducted test drives of Pony AI’s autonomous vehicles in Guangzhou and Shenzhen, noting the company’s technology impressed with its capability to handle complicated road situations without human intervention.

The firm forecasts Pony AI will achieve a 2025-30 sales compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 96%, driven by the company’s robotaxi technology and operating scaling efforts.

Pony AI develops autonomous driving technology for robotaxis and has established commercial operations in major Chinese metropolitan areas.

In other recent news, Pony AI Inc. has secured a fully driverless permit in Shanghai’s Pudong New Area, making it the only company with such permits in all four of China’s tier-one cities: Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen. This development follows the announcement that Shanghai has granted commercial Robotaxi licenses to eight companies, including Pony AI, allowing them to operate driverless services across 2,700 kilometers of routes. Pony AI’s seventh-generation BAIC Robotaxi model has also begun road testing in Beijing’s High-Level Autonomous Driving Demonstration Zone. The company’s Level 4 autonomous driving domain controller has surpassed 2 million kilometers of on-road testing, showcasing its durability and reduced costs. Notably, the system’s cost has been reduced by 80% compared to the previous generation. BofA Securities has maintained a Buy rating on Pony AI, highlighting a 70% reduction in the bill of materials costs for its latest robotaxi model. These cost savings include an 80% reduction for the autonomous driving domain controller and a 68% decrease in LiDAR costs.

UBS initiates Pony AI stock with Buy rating, $20 price target

UBS upgrades Pony AI to a Buy rating with a $20 price target, implying 53% upside potential from its current $13.94 stock price. The investment bank highlights Pony AI as the first robotaxi company to operate in all four Chinese tier-one cities, noting its autonomous technology and 2025-30 96% CAGR forecast. Pony AI has secured driverless permits in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, with its seventh-generation BAIC Robotaxi model undergoing testing in Beijing. The company’s autonomous driving domain controller has surpassed 2 million km of testing, with 80% cost reduction compared to previous generations.